Rødhåd Interview

Breaking down the boundaries between ambient, dub-techno, techno and house Rødhåd’s sound is timeless, futuristic and off the wall. Having grown naturally from parties, Dystopian is firmly rooted in Berlin’s clubbing culture, with their nights visited like a mecca for lovers of techno. We caught up with him to speak about the first Dystopian party in London and everything else.

Hi Rødhåd. Thanks for taking a minute to chat to us. Could you start off by telling us a bit about the ethos behind Dystopian, its parties and of course the music?
Hello London, nice to speak with you. Actually, what can I say – for us music speaks most, but we also want to have a good environment for the parties – dark clubs, good and loud soundsystems and just the right dystopic vibe we need for a long party.

What were the biggest inspirations in starting the label… Was it a natural evolution from the nights you used to run?
Yes, of course the parties helped to kick it off, but to be honest we also wanted to have our own base were we could release the tracks of our crew easily and quickly.

Stuff has really kicked off for you on a global scale over the past few years individually and for the label. How have you made this happen?
With not much sleep! And with a great back up of friends and partners who always believed in what we doing.

Tell us a little bit more about the small outdoor parties that you used to run towards the beginning of your career, in the outskirts of Berlin…
It was the same with the record label – nobody wanted to book me back in the day, but I really wanted to play in the open air! So, we gathered some friends together on a sunny day in Berlin and did a little small open air party. The rest is history.

Are there any countries that you have been particularly impressed with when you’ve toured?I have to say, and that may sounds cheesy, but I am still impressed to see so many people dancing in each city, to electronic music. For me it’s still crazy to see people in Tokyo, Detroit or in a small village in Germany coming to see me playing. I am blessed by what I am doing, it’s great.

You’ve already played quite a few times in London, but which London gig stands out the most in your memory?
I hope THIS gig with you all on Sunday May 3rd will the best!

And this will be the debut Dystopian showcase in London this May, what can we expect from that?I only can say DYSTOPIAN IS WATCHING LONDON… So come there and check it out.

If we were to walk into your studio what would we see?A lot of doors and a dog protecting my stuff!

Can you tell us about any other forthcoming releases on the label, and any new artists your signing?Next one will be the legendary STONE EDGE on Dystopian 012, out in May. Than we will have Dystopian 014 by myself afterwards. The rest of the year is quite open.

Tell us something we might not know about you?I spotted a grey hair last time I was in the airplane toilet !

Looking forward to see you all on 3.may at the Dystopian party at The Steelyard!